The former Times journalist said such inquiries could "create cures worse than the original disease", involving setting up of knee-jerk quangos and "law-making entities", which made matters worse.

He questioned whether the Leveson inquiry was really necessary, saying that most of the behaviour by journalists, which caused it to be set up, could have been handled by existing laws.

Leveson said that press freedom did not "obliterate or tramp on other rights" especially the "operation of the rule of law for all".

His comments came as the inquiry moved on to investigate the links between the press and the police. Former deputy prime minister Lord Prescott and ex-Scotland Yard deputy assistant commissioner Brian Paddick are expected to voice concerns that some officers have become too close to newspaper reporters and executives.